A painful form of arthritis, gout is more common than you think. We explain how to recognize the symptoms and how it’s treated.
Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in the United States, where it affects more than eight million people. You’ll know it by pain and swelling in a joint, usually a big toe but sometimes in other spots, like your ankle joint.
Contributed by: Michelle Konstantinovsky, ARPN-CNP | MetroHealth nurse practitioner
What causes gout?
Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid, one of your body’s normal waste products, is usually filtered out by the kidneys. But for some people it collects and forms spike-like crystals that get stuck in joints or in soft tissues like ligaments and tendons, causing painful inflammation.
How do I know I have it?
You may feel sudden, intense pain, redness and swelling that’s hot to the touch in joints in your toe, ankle, or knee, or in soft tissue in your foot or lower leg.
Who gets gout?
The condition is more common the older you are, and it affects more men than women. Both Asian adults and Black adults get gout more often than white adults. Some additional risk factors:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Taking certain medications, such as aspirin and diuretics
- Alcohol use. This is a double whammy: Your body converts alcohol into uric acid, and alcohol stops your body from getting rid of excess uric acid.
- Eating purine-rich foods (purine is a naturally occurring chemical that breaks down into uric acid). High-purine foods include turkey, red meat, bacon, organ meats, seafood and some fish, such as anchovies, sardines, codfish and haddock, high fructose corn syrup and sugary sodas.
Should I see a doctor?
If you don’t remember injuring your toe or other joint, chances are good you have gout, so seeing a doctor or going to Express Care is important. Starting treatment within the first 24 hours can ease symptoms and shorten your bout with gout. Untreated, gout can spread to other joints, and, worse, cause kidney problems like kidney stones. Some gout sufferers can end up with hard lumps around the affected joint called tophi.
What is the treatment?
Treatment for gout may include:
- Prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs)
- Corticosteroids, which also help reduce inflammation
- Colchicine, a medicine that blocks your immune system’s response to uric acid
- Allopurinol, a medicine that reduces your body’s production of uric acid (it’s most often prescribed to prevent flares of gout for people who get it often)
Gout is not a one-and-done condition for some people, so do what you can to avoid a repeat. Losing some weight, avoiding triggers like alcohol and purine-rich foods, and seeing your doctor for help controlling diabetes or high blood pressure is important.
Bonus Recipe: Cheese-Zucchini Bake
Low-fat dairy and eggs provide necessary protein without increasing risk for gout. This cross between a vegetarian lasagna and “impossible” pie provides a gout-friendly protein option.
Next Steps
Gout is treatable and can be managed with timely care. If you think you have gout, schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor by calling 216-696-3876 or visit one of our convenient MetroHealth Express Care locations near you.
